Automatic-weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



J. c. A. WENNING. AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR L00M$.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 30, 1910.

Patented Julie 4, 1912.

INVENTOR:

COLUMBIA PLANOuRAPl- Cm. WASHINGTON, D C.

JEAN CHARLES ALFRED WENNING, OEM U'LHAUSEN, GERMANY,ASSIGNOR TO SOGIETE ALSACIENNE DE CONSTRUCTIONS MEGANIQUES,

OF MT j'LI-IA'USEN, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR .LOOMS.

Application filed'November :30, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN CHARLES ALFRED WENNING, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing inMiilhausen, Alsace- Lorraine, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Weft- Replenishing Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

T he present invention relates to automatic weft replenishing mechanisms for looms of the known kind comprising a guide at the supply place of the loom, receive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place, a removable charger connecte to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a reserve of independent pirn carriers carrying full pirns-and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, and means for introducing thepirns from their carriers into the shuttle of the loom. Such a weft replenishing mechanism is described for example in the United States Letters Patent No. 959,036. In looms with weft replenishing devices of this kind it is neces sary as is well known, end of the thread of the reserve pirns to a fixed point, judiciously chosen, inorder that the weft from the pirn when being introduced into the shuttle may automatically be threaded into the shuttle. 'In the arrangement described in said United States Letters Patent the weft thread of the pirns was fixedv by the operator to a projection on the pirn carriers leaving a reserve be'understood that the pirn carrier. It may this led to a great loss of time and more-,

of the reserve piece of this over as the free end thread was fixed to the pirn carrler, latter had to be thread adhering to it after it had been emptied of its pirn. The arrangement according to the presentinvention seeks to.

obviate this drawback and is characterized: by the feature that it has, in combinationwith the pirn carriers, arranged to receive; a pirn with an end portion of thread en-. tirely free, that is to say not fixed to any part of the pirn carrier, automatic means for seizing and retaining at least during the first pick the'free'thread end portion of the new pirn introduced into the shuttle, when Specification of Letters Patent.

adapted to to attach the free amount of thread between the full pirn body and the body of freed from the ends of weft carriers to the said guide-way Patented June 4., 1912.

Serial No. 594,842.

the spent pirn of the shuttle is changed, so that the thread of the freshly introduced p1rn can correctly be threaded into the shuttle. It may be seen that in this improved arrangement as the free end portion of the pirn thread is no longer fixed to the p1rn carrier, this latter may be loaded much more rapidly and easily and further, the emptypirn carrier does not require to be freed of any adhering ends of weft thread.

In a further improvement the subdivided box for receiving on the one hand the empty p1rn carriers and on the other hand the empty spools expelled from the shuttle is replaced by a removable reserve charger s milar to that carrying'the supplying full plrns and connected to the delivery end of the above said guide, so as to directly rece1ve the empty pirn carriers and to thus be capable of charger, after the empty pirn carriers placed thereon have been supplied with new or full pirns.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 1s a plan View of a convenient embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of one side of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly 111 section, of the opposite side of the mechanism, the different parts being in another positlon.

A is a stationary guide-way arranged at the supply place of the loom and B is a removable charger placed in line or connected with said guide-way A so as to be capable of being removed therefrom and-provided with a series of independent pirn carriers 0 in the form of claws or the like, which can successively slide upon the guide-way A in order to be introduced one byoneinto the loom shuttle when the latter is on the point of being exhausted. The removable charger B carries a supply of pirn carriers C and occupies an inclined position on the loom for the purpose of supplying its subricessive pirn Each of the pirncarriers C upon the guideway A and the charger B is arranged to receive together with the' full pirn, a mass of thread a (Fig. 1) placed between the full pirn body and the body of the pirn carrier. This mass of thread a; is obtained by stretching the thread end portion of the pirn until it breaks off at about 40 centimeters from the hand'holding the thread near the pirn being used as supplying body, and springs back, by reason of its elasticity onto the body of the pirn, thereby forming a mass of ragged thread. Should it not be desired to stretch this thread to its limit of elasticity, it can evidently be cut by means of a suitable instrument or apparatus. It need not be added that if the weft thread which is being used has not sufficient elasticity to allow of this procedure, the reserve of thread is then provided for by means of a special apparatus arranged for this purpose. Once this mass of thread is formed, the pirn is thrust into the pirn carrier, taking care to turn it in such a manner that the mass of thread a is caught between the pirn body and the body of the pirn carrier. Owing to this arrangement it results that when the pirn carrier is freed from its spool and the latter introduced into the shuttle by the double ejecting-feeding hammer M, the empty pirn carrier continues to slide on the stationary guide-way A and the mass or reserve of thread a appears on the top of the'spool in the shuttle.

In order that the free end of thread of the mass or reserve a is kept so that the weft thread may be threaded into the shuttle, a small brush 6 formed of bundles of silk or like material isarranged to seize the mass of thread a and hold it during the first pick of the lay. This brush 6 may be replaced by any other retaining device (suction device or similarly acting mechanisms). The brush 6 is fixed on a bent lever c pivoted at 0 Normally, the said brush occupies a position situated above the shuttlebox of the 100m. One of the parts of the ejecting-feeding hammer M carries a pin 6 which is brought into engagement with the lever 0 and lowers it when a fresh spool is introduced into the shuttle, that is to say when the hammer M is moved downward. The brush 6 is thereby also lowered and thus comes on a level with the top part of the spool or pirn introduced into the shuttle. The brush 6 and the lever 0 then take up the position shown in Fig. 3 with respect to the shuttle and the pirn placed therein. l/Vhen the picker now acts and the freshly filled shuttle is again set in motion, the upper or top part of the spool or pirn in the shuttle rubs against the lowered brush Z2, and there by the mass of thread a remains engaged with the bundles forming the brush, while the shuttle continues in its movement along the shuttle race to allow the weft thread to engage with the threading-in snail of the shuttle. In this manner the end of the pirn thread is retained in a practical and sure manner without having been first attached anywhere, this thread end remaining entirely free before being engaged by the brush 6. As soon as the changing of the pirn in the shuttle has been effected, the lay ,mechanism for goes away from the breast-beam (Fig. 3) and one of the arms of the lever 0 strikes against a leaf-spring f, whereby said arm is lowered, while theother lever arm together with the brush 6 is raised. The brush carrying lever 0 is fixed in its end positions by a curved leaf-spring f provided with two recesses which can be engaged by a lateral pin 2' of said lever. The raising of the brush 5 prevents it from again making contact with the pirn until this latter is exhausted, and on the other hand it facilitates the removal of the thread adhering thereto. To the end of said removal of thread, a toothed piece it fixed on the breast beam is arranged in such a manner that the raised brush, when the lay advances, is capable of putting the thread it retains, upon the first teeth of said toothed piece. On the next stroke of the I lay, a pusher g fixed on the lay and provided wit-h a fine indentation (not indicated) at its front part, meets with the weft thread, the free end portion of which lies on the first teeth of the toothed piece 72, when the lay advances toward the breast beam, and pushes it upon the rear teeth of said toothed piece, in order that it may be cut by the ordinary side shears arranged on the loom. The form of the pusher 9 allows it to pass underneath the thread when the lay moves back. The mass of thread is then entangled with the preceding thread masses having been brought from the foregoing changing operations upon the rear teeth of the toothed piece h, and the thus accumulated masses of thread may then be removed by hand, if necessary.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the empty pirn carriers, that is to say the pirn carriers from which the pirn has been introduced into the shuttle, slide from the guide-way A upon a removable reserve charger B similar to the charger B carrying the supplying fullpirns and connected to the delivery end of the guide-way A so as to directly receive the empty pirn carriers as they come from the said guide-way. I/Vhen thus being provided with empty pirn carriers, the said reserve charger B can' be removed and brought to the supplying place where its pirn carriers may be charged in the above described man nor with fresh full pirns, whereupon the reserve charger B thus freshly charged may be used as supplying charger in lieu of the exhausted charger B.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic weft replenishing I looms, the combination of a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapted to receive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place, a removable charger connected to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a reserve of independent pirn carriers carrying full pirns with an entirely free thread end was 1% when the spent pirn of the shuttle is changed,

threaded into the shuttle.

2. In an automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms, thecombination of a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapt ed toreceive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place,

dependent pirn carriers carrying full pirnsj with an entirely free thread end portion on the top of the pirn mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn means for introducing the pirns from their carriers int-o the shuttle of the loom and an automatic mov-; able retaining piece capable of being lowv carriers to said guide,

ered into such a position with regard to the freshly loaded shuttle that the free thread end portion on after its supplying, is actuated by the picker,

in of the shuttle.

3. In an automatic weft replenishing serve of independent p1rn carriers carrying,

full pirns with an entirely free thread end portion on the top of the pirn body and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, means for introducing the pirns from their carriers into the shuttle of the loom and an automatic movable retaining brush capable of being lowered into such a position with regard to the freshly loaded shuttle that it meets with the free thread end portion on the top of the full pirn in the shuttle when the latter, after its supplying, by the picker, in order to'retain the said thread end portion and to allow of the threading-in of the shuttle.

4. In an automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms, the combination of,

a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapted to receive and feed pirn carriers ing full pirns with so that the thread of the. freshly introduced pirn can correctly be a removable charger con-l nected to sald gulde so as tobe capable of} belng removed therefrom, a reserve of lIlbody and movably it meets with the top of the full pirn in the shuttle when the latter,

in order to retain the said thread, end portion and to allow of the threadingthereto, substantially as is actuated toward such supply place, a removable charger connected to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a reserve of independent pirn carriers carryan entirely free thread end port-ion on the top of the pirn body and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, means for introducing the pirns from their carriers into the shuttle of the loom, automatic means for seizing and retaining at leastduring the first pick the free thread end portion of the new-pirn introduced into the shuttle, when the spentpirn of the shuttle is changed, and means for removing from said seizing and retaining means the thread portions which may adhere thereto from the preceding changing operation.

5. In an automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms, the combination of a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapted to receive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place, a removable charger connected to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a re serve of independent pirn carriers carrying full pirns wit-h an entirely free thread end port-ion on the top of the pirn body and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, means for introducing the pirns from their carriers into the shuttle of the loom, an automatic movable retaining piece capable of being lowered into such a posit-ion with regard to the freshly loaded shuttle that it meets with the free thread end portion on the top of the full pirn in the shuttle when the latter, after its supplying, is actuated by the picker, in order to retain the said thread end port-ion and to allow of the threading-in of the shuttle, and a fixed toothed piece and a pusher mounted on the lay, adapted to remove from said retaining piece all of the thread which may adhere and for the purpose described.

6. In an automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms, the combination of a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapted to receive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place, a removable charger connected to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a re serveof independent pirn carriers carrying full pirns with an entirely free thread end portion on the top of the pirn body and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, means empty pirn carriers and to thus be capable of being used as supplying charger after its emptypirn carriers have been charged with new pirns.

7. In an automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms, the combination of a guide at the supply place of the loom, adapted to receive and feed pirn carriers toward such supply place, a removable charger connected to said guide so as to be capable of being removed therefrom, a reserve of independent pirn carriers carrying full pirns with an entirely free thread end portion on the top of the pirn body and movably mounted on said removable charger, said charger being adapted to direct said pirn carriers to said guide, means for introducing the pirns from their carriers into the shuttle of the loom, automatic means for seizing and retaining at least during the first pick the free thread end portion of the new pirn introduced into the shuttle, when the spent pirn of the shuttle is changed, and a removable reserve charger arranged at the delivery end of said guide to receive the empty pirn carriers and to thus be capable of being used as supplying charger after its empty pirn carriers have been charged with new pirns.

8. In a filling replenishing loom, a lay having a shuttle-box thereon, a filling engaging and positioning member mounted on the lay adjacent the mouth of the shuttlebox and above the same, means independent of the fresh supply of filling to move said member into position to engage the fresh filling end when filling replenishment is effected, to maintain the filling end 1n proper position for threading of the shuttle, and separate means to return said member thereafter to inoperative position.

9. In a filling replenishing having a shuttle-box thereon, a carrier pivotally mounted on the lay and normally extending over the shuttle-box, a filling engaging and positioning member on the carrier and adapted to be moved by it into the box to engage the fresh filling end, means governed by operation of the replenishing mechanism to actuate the carrier and operatively position said member independently of the incoming supply of filling, and sepa rate means to thereafter return the carrier and said member to inoperative position independently of the shuttle or its movement. 10. In a filling replenishing loom, a lay having a shuttle-box thereon, a filling engaging and positioning member pivotally mounted 011 the lay adjacent the mouth of the box and movable into and out of operative position; means operative upon filling replenishment to move said member into loom, a lay operative position, to engage the fresh fillpending from the carrier and adapted to be moved by it into position to engage the fresh filling end and position the same when the shuttle is picked from the box, means actuated when filling replenishment is effected to rock said carrier and operatively position the brush, a tail depending from the carrier, and a stationary lug to engage said tail when the lay swings back and thereby return the carrier and brush to inoperative position. 7 I V 12. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle-box thereon, and filling replenishing mechanism, includingv a rocking transferrer, in combination, a carrier movably mounted on the lay adjacent the shuttle-box,a filling engaging and positioning member on the carrier and adapted to be moved into the box into operative position, a depressing finger controlled by the transferrer, to engage directly and depress the carrier to operative position when filling is replenished, separate means independent of the shuttle to return the carrier and the member thereon to normal, in-

operative position, and a yielding detent to.

retain the carrier in operative or inoperative position until moved positively therefrom.

' 13. In a filling replenishing loom, a lay, a shuttle-box thereon, a filling positioning member carried by the lay and normally held in inoperative position above the shuttle-box, means governed by the actuation of the replenishing mechanism but independent of the fresh supply of'filling to temporarily move said member into the shuttle-box into" position to engage the fresh filling end and hold it in position for threading when the shuttle is picked from the shuttle-box, and a device independent of the lay and its adjuncts to cooperate with and return said filling positioning member to normal position after the shuttle has been picked from the shuttle-box.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 15th day of November 1910, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEAN CHARLES ALFRED WENNING.

Witnesses GEO. GIrroRD, AMAND BITTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Washington, D. C.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

